I. Priority
II. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to closures for merchandise containers and in particular to closures for drink cups and the like.
III. Description of the Related Art
Closures for merchandise containers such as soft drink cups are well known. In some cases, it is desirable to provide the closure with a compartment for holding a prize, game token, premium or the like. As such, after purchasing a soft drink or the like, the purchaser then opens the closure to reveal the contents therein, perhaps winning a prize.
Problems however arise with the closures that have been provided with compartments, particularly when the closures are used for drink cups or other containers containing beverages. Typically, the closure is configured with an opening, such as a pair of cris-crossed slits, for receiving a straw. When a straw is inserted through the slits, liquid can seep through the slits and into the compartment thereby damaging the contents therein, perhaps rendering the contents unusable. Indeed, seepage through the slits is virtually inevitable if the portion of the closure in which the slits is formed is disposed near the level of the beverage. In such a case, downward displacement of the closure as a result of the initial insertion of the straw through the slits typically submerges the slits within the beverage causing substantial seepage through the slits. In cases where the closure compartment is at or below the level of the cup lip, the volume of this compartment actually displaces the interior volume of the cup and thus upon attachment of the closure would cause substantial spillage in a fully filled beverage. Moreover, customers at quick service restaurants and the like usually prefer beverages to be filled to the brim. With the beverage filled to the brim, substantial seepage or spillage can occur upon insertion of the straw or attachment of the closure itself causing considerable annoyance to the customer and extra work for the restaurant staff mopping up the spilled beverages. To avoid this problem, beverage cups are often filled only to a specified level well below the brim of the cup. In restaurants where the cup is automatically filled, automatic filling devices therefore need to be properly set and monitored to ensure that the beverage does not exceed the specified level. If the cup is manually filled by the staff, the staff therefore needs to constantly remember to fill the cup only to the specified level. Furthermore, in many quick service restaurants, the customers fill their own beverage cups, thereby permitting re-fills by the customer. The customers are often not aware that filling the cup to the brim will cause subsequent spillage and, hence, the customers typically overfill the cups resulting in frequent and substantial spillage in the vicinity of the beverage dispensers.
Moreover, even if no seepage or spillage through the slits occurs, the closure itself which is typically formed of plastic may have cracks or other deformities which can also result in seepage into the compartment. Such cracks may occur during manufacturing or perhaps as a result of mishandling of the closure prior to mounting the closure to the drink container. If cracks are present within portions of the closure forming the compartment, then liquid may seep through the cracks and into the compartment damaging the contents therein. Seepage through cracks is virtually inevitable if the portion of the closure forming the bottom of the compartment has such cracks and that portion is disposed near or below the level of the liquid. Buckling of the closure as a result of the downward insertion of the straw through the slits may expand or create such cracks.
In general, a substantial risk of seepage or spillage occurs if either the crisscrossed slits of the closure or the compartment itself are positioned such that, when the closure is mounted to the drink container, the slits or the bottom of the compartment are positioned at or below the top perimeter edge of the drink container. Unfortunately, prior art compartment closures for drink containers are typically configured to position both the criscrossed slits and the bottom of the compartment well below the top perimeter edge of the drink container.
It would be desirable to provide a merchandise container closure, particularly a closure for use with drink containers, with a compartment wherein the closure is configured to avoid the aforementioned problems and it is to that end that the invention of the parent application was primarily directed.
The present application is directed to providing additional embodiments of a merchandise container closure, particularly a closure for use with conventional drink containers of the type employed within quick service restaurants.